Issy Smith

Issy Smith (16 September 1886-11 September 1940) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

He was 28 years old, and an Acting Corporal in the 1st Battalion, Manchester Regiment, British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 26 April 1915 at Saint-Julien, Belgium, Corporal Smith left his company on his own initiative and went forward towards the enemy's position to help a severely wounded man, whom he carried a distance of 250 yards into safety. When casualties were very heavy later in the day Corporal Smith again displayed great gallantry in helping to bring in more wounded men and attending them, regardless of personal risk.CITATION

NO. 168 A/ Cpl. Issy Smith (SHMULOVITCH ) , 1st.Battalion Manchester Regiment, awarded the Victoria Cross.

Far most conspicuous bravery on April 26th. 1915, near Ypres, when he left his company on his own initiative, and went forward towards the enemy's position to assist a severely wounded man, whom he carried a distance of 250 yards to safety whilst exposed the whole time to heavy machine-gun and rifle fire.

Subsequently Corporal Smith displayed great gallantry when casualties were very heavy, in voluntary assisting to bring in many more wounded men throughout the whole day, and attending them with the greatest devotion to duty, regardless of personal risk.

One of the rescued Sergeant Rooke, told a Daily Mail representative, that he did not know whether Smith's action on that occasion had won him the V.C. or not.

What happened said the sergeant, was this, " I got wounded near the stream before St. Julien Farm, close to the German trenches. Corporal Smith took me up on his back and carried me out of the firing line. Whilst he was doing that Lieutenant W.N.Shipster said he would give a hand, but we had only gone a few yards when the Lieutenant was hit in the neck. He managed to get to the trench, and Smith carried me there himself.

"Bullets were flying around us at that time, I was only two hundred yards from the German trenches", and the fact that Smith wasn't hit, was a sheer miracle.

He behaved with wonderful coolness and presence of mind the whole time, and no man deserved a Victoria Cross more thoroughly than he did.

He later achieved the rank of Sergeant and migrated to Australia where he died in 1940.

References

• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
• VCs of the First World War - The Western Front 1915 (Peter F. Batchelor & Christopher Matson, 1999)

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